Welcome to VineBalance, New York State’s Sustainable Viticulture Program!

VineBalance is a joint effort by the wine and juice grape industry, Cornell
Cooperative Extension, and the New York Department of Agriculture and Market’s
Soil and Water Conservation Committee to define and promote the use of
sustainable growing practices on the 33,000 acres of vineyards in New York.

The program’s major goals are to promote and document grape production
practices that:

Protect the environment (specifically water quality and soil health)

Protect
the health of workers, neighbors, and consumers

Increase or maintain the
profitability of grape production.

The foundation of the program is our grower
self-assessment workbook.
Designed to both document sustainable grape growing practices already in
place and promote sustainable practices throughout
the industry, the workbook is primarily an educational tool to bring awareness
to the economic, environmental and social implications of specific viticultural
practices. The self-assessment provides a baseline for potential modifications
detailed in an action
plan drawn up after completing the workbook.

The potential benefits to participating growers include:

Eligibility for cost-sharing opportunities for farm improvements through
state and federal conservation agencies

Increased product marketability
for the grapes and grape products produced through sustainable means

Economic and environmental savings through efficient use of fertilizers
and agrichemicals

Improved neighbor relations and industry reputation.

Grape production is a high-profile agricultural enterprise. By making
it an industry-wide goal to produce grapes, juice, and wine using sustainable
practices, participating growers will help themselves and the state by
reducing environmental risks and ensuring a healthy future for New York’s
grape growing industry.